Sussex County Council Honors DSP on 100th Anniversary; Looks at General Assembly Session Affects Sussex County
The Sussex County Council honored the Delaware State Police with a proclamation on the DSP’s 100th anniversary this year. Troopers filled the back of the council chambers as the proclamation was read by County Administrator Todd Lawson. The DSP are the largest law enforcement agency in the state with over 700 full-time members.
Due to the absence of Councilman John Rieley, the public interview for Planning and Zoning Commission nominees was deferred.
The Manager of Accounting, Andrea Wall, told the Council that a check for $38,898 was received from the US Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, as federal payment in lieu of taxes for the Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge – payments under the Refuge Revenue Sharing Act covering FY 2022. The check is funded through revenues generated from Prime Hook and from a supplemental congressional appropriation. The County collects no property taxes from the Federal Government for the Refuge and the funding received from this payment is allocated based on the assessed value of the Refuge – with just over 23% within the Milford School District and over 76% in the Cape Henlopen School District. The districts will receive $9,001 and $29,897 respectively.
With State lawmakers finished with the first half of the 152nd General Assembly, County Administrator Todd Lawson updated the Council on some of the legislation that would affect Sussex County.
HB 2 – Marijuana Control Act. County Administrator Todd Lawson says that municipalities have the ability to prohibit marijuana operations within town limits, but the County does not have the same ability. A county may enact ordinances that do not conflict with any regulations established by the Act governing the time, place, manner and number of operations.
HB 62 – Reassessment – all three counties are to reassess at least once every 5 years. Each 5-year period starts on the date that a county board of assessment adopts the certification of the completion of a general reassessment.
SB 120 – Realty Transfer Tax – expands the use of RTT for purposes of workforce and affordable housing program
HB 127 – Fire Protection Fee – out of committee – and provides each county the ability to impose, by ordinance, a fire protection fee.
SB 186 – Voluntary School Assessment
This provides Sussex County the ability to establish, but ordinance, a Volunteer School Assessment for residential development – only of major subdivisions. If this is established in Sussex County, the County Council may require the applicant to provide certification, from DOE, that the school district has adequate capacity for the proposed development.
HB 246 Riparian Buffer Areas
This is one bill the County is monitoring. County Administrator feels this is relatively drastic and would override county buffers
- requires the counties to establish a 300’riparian buffer to tidal waters, marshes an non-tidal freshwater bodies, lakes, ponds and blue-line streams
- requires the counties to establish a 50′ riparian buffer to any stream (non-blue-line), creek or drainage ditch
- requires the counties to establish riparian buffers in incorporated areas in towns that do no hold an MS4 permit
HB 248 – Pre-Permit Community Outreach – in Committee
Another bill the County is monitoring
This gives DNREC the authority to issue permits for a project located within an underserved community or within 3 miles of an underserved community to complete specific community outreach activities.
Sussex County did benefit from the financial bills – the budget, Grants-in-Aid and the Bond Bill.
At the end of the meeting the Council recognized former Councilman Finley Jones who was watching the meeting from the back of the chamber.
There were no afternoon Land Use public hearings. The County Council is scheduled to meet next Tuesday at 10am in the County Administration building on The Circle in Georgetown. Next week’s agenda has already been posted.
